On Saturday 24th July the city of Fremantle in Western Australia wore the colours of the Cuban Revolution. The Australia-Cuba Friendship Society (ACFS) threw a big Revolution party, a unique event for Perth.

The party kicked off with a warm welcome from Cuban ambassador to Australia, Mr Abelardo Curbelo, who kindly accepted the invitation to visit Western Australia for the celebrations. He highlighted the significance of the historical event, the spark of the Cuban revolution, in the city of Santiago de Cuba which sees the town shut down its activities for a week to dance the days and nights away to rhythms of Cuban music.

Almost 200 people attended the big revolution party which featured local band Latin Fusion. ACFS secretary Elizabeth Hulm talked to people about the aims of the friendship society in Perth that for 16 years has been strengthening the friendship between the peoples of Australia and Cuba.

She told the attendees that it is only their solidarity that would enable the ACFS to raise the dollars needed to fund this year’s project in the province of Las Tunas, Cuba. ACFS Perth is currently sponsoring the rebuilding of the local school for children with special needs whose dream is to attend the Paralympics sometime in the future.

Branch president Vinnie Molina invited those present to visit Cuba in the upcoming Southern Cross brigade to Cuba due on Boxing Day. He also talked on the plight of the Cuban Five men unjustly incarcerated in US prisons for no crime and whom are unable to get visits by their wives. The night ended at midnight with a chant of Viva Cuba!